Is Your Home Making You Sick?

Thousands of lives are under threat from pollution in our own homes, says a new report. The good news? There’s plenty you can do to reverse the damage..

- Jane Murphy

Air pollution plays a major role in many of the big health challenges facing us today, including cancer, asthma, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and dementia. But this threat isn’t just confined to outdoors. The effects of indoor pollution are often overlooked and are now estimated to have caused or contributed to 99,000 deaths across Europe in just one year, according to a new report from the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Some of the better-known offenders listed by the researchers include carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty boilers and heaters, potentially carcinogenic formaldehyde vapour emitted by certain furniture, furnishings and insulation, and lung damage caused by the building material asbestos. What’s perhaps more surprising is that chemicals from cookers, cleaning products, air fresheners and even scented candles can also pose a significant threat. Even house-proud habits, such as making the bed each morning, can exacerbate the problem by allowing these pollutants to thrive.

Mould and mildew in damp and poorly ventilated homes can cause severe respiratory problems – an issue that was highlighted in another recent report about indoor air quality. As a result of the move to make our homes more energy-efficient and airtight, the flow of air moving in and out is significantly reduced, allowing pollutants to accumulate and hang around for longer. ‘To avoid a serious and significant increase in asthma cases – which could rise by up to 80 per cent by 2050 – and other related health conditions, homes must be adequately ventilated,’ warns the report’s author Professor Hazim Awbi. ‘Simply opening windows isn’t enough as it doesn’t allow the necessary level of air exchange.’